1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to boat motors and motor mounting mechanisms such as those utilized in recreational fishing for propelling boats at slow speeds to enable fisherman to quietly explore selected fishing areas, and more particularly, to a yieldable protective mounting mechanism for motors mounted on elongated motor shafts with the motor and propeller mechanism at the lower end of the motor shaft and in the water which provides yieldable support and pivotal rotation of the motor and propeller mechanism in the event submerged articles are struck to prevent damage to the motor shaft, the motor or the propeller mechanism.
2. Description of Prior Art
Boat motors, particularly trolling motors, are widely utilized in recreational fishing to enable fishermen to propel fishing boats quietly at slow speed and thereby enable exploration of areas of lakes, streams, bays and the like. Typically such motors are provided with a bracket for attachment to the bow or stern of a fishing boat or other such vessel and have an elongated shaft extending through a motor support bracket with a motor and propeller mechanism secured to the lower end of the shaft. In most cases the motor shaft is vertically slidable within the motor support bracket so that the electric motor and propeller may sit at any suitable depth in the water that is permitted by the length of the shaft and the height of the boat above the water line.
Many motor support brackets are provided with features that enable the motor and shaft to be stowed above the level of the water in a generally horizontal position when not in use. Those trolling motor mounts that are adapted to be fixed to the bow of the boat are generally quite complex and expensive because the bow of small fishing and pleasure boats is not ordinarily provided with a trolling motor mounting bracket. The motor mount for bow mounted trolling motors is quite complex in construction because motor support positioning and stowage is typically built into the mount. Some of these trolling motor mount mechanisms additionally enable pivoting or other movement of portions of the trolling motor mechanism in the event a submerged object is struck. For the most part, however, these mechanisms are complex and expensive. Many fisherman and other small boat users employ simple and inexpensive trolling motor assemblies that incorporate simple clamp motor support brackets which are designed for clamped assembly to the transom at the stem of a boat.
In most cases, clamp stern mounting brackets fix the motor with its shaft disposed in a substantially vertical position so that the motor shaft is rotatable relative to its mounting bracket but not pivotal. These non-pivotal trolling motor mount mechanisms though quite simple and inexpensive do not provide any protection against shaft bending or motor or propeller mechanism damage when a submerged article is struck.
It is therefore desirable to provide a yieldable protective mounting mechanism for motors and propeller mechanisms mounted at the lower end of the elongated motor shaft and in the water which will provide the motor and propeller mechanism with protective yielding pivotal movement when a submerged object is struck to minimize the possibility of damage. It is also desirable to provide a motor mounting mechanism that will support a wide range of motors which is simple in design and inexpensive to build. It is to these desired objectives that the present invention is directed.